The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina
by Shinigamiwillrule9
Summary: An adaptation of the instant classic, Ocarina of Time. Link is a young boy living in the Kokiri Forest with those that are not his kind-not that he knows it yet. While they are content to live their lives not aging, Link is destined for adventure and a quest that will save the world... or destroy it. T for violence, and just to be safe.
1. The Beginning of a Legend

**Hello, everyone! I know, I know, I haven't done anything in forever, and if you've read my Pokemon fanfiction and are now reading this, I salute you. (Also, as a side-note for you: I'll get chapter 28 of that up-and-running soon).**

**But anyway, this is my adaptation of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, a classic—the best definition of the word. Events will obviously be changed to make scenes more exciting or whatever… oh, yeah. Link talks. What, did you expect him to be a mute? Okay, well, me too. When I started this, anyway. But as it went on I realized, as with my Pokemon fanfic, it just wouldn't flow as well. You know how it is.**

**This is going to be a bit rough around the edges, as this is my first foray into Zelda lore and I know it is held very close to many gamers' hearts, and I am one of those gamers. So I'll try and stay as true to the original as I can while still adding that Shinigami flair.**

**Please read and review (helpful criticism, if you please!) and help me build upon and make this fic as exciting for me to write as my Pokemon fanfic, alluded to way too many times in this note.**

**Anyway, you didn't come here for the whole first chapter to be an author's note. Read on, and enjoy!**

**/\**

**The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina**

**Chapter One**

**/\**

"Navi," crooned the majestic voice across the valley. "Come hither..."

A small, spherical blue form fluttered out of a shadow to the left of the tree, who smiled in amusement.

"Ah, Navi," said the Great Deku Tree. "Always in hiding."

If the small blue fairy could have blushed, she would have. But she couldn't, so she just sat in wait of the tree's next words.

"I need you to go to a boy... He is not like the dwellers of our forest, and his name is Link..." The Deku Tree said slowly. Navi fluttered up and down in excitement. Her very own partner.

"Thank you!" Navi said in her small voice, and then she sped off. The tree looked after her as she left, and a small smile creased his giant mouth.

"You will do well, Navi..." He moaned, "you have to..."

/\

"Hey!"

The small boy, clad in green and laying on a rough mattress, awoke. He felt stiff after his strange dream-one that involved a pointy-nosed man and two girls- so he stretched, yawning conspicuously.

"Wake up! Was I really assigned to such a lazy boy?"

The boy sat up and looked at the blue form, bleary-eyed. The form waved around in apparent frustration in front of his face.

"What is it?" said the boy, softly. His gentle blue eyes scanned his room. "Have you done anything to my things?"

"No!" Said the fairy indignantly. "Do you see any hands here?"

"I suppose not," said the boy mildly, brushing his blonde hair out of his eyes and getting up off the stiff bed.

Navi (indeed the fairy that had been assigned to this boy) moved around energetically. "Come!"

The boy smiled lightly, his eyes scrunching into laugh lines. The fairy was cute, he thought. It's energy was a good contrast to his own relaxed attitude.

"Alright," the boy said, scratching behind his pointed ears before tugging on his brown boots. The rough fabric of his green tunic scraped his legs as he finally made his way out of his treehouse.

"My name is Navi, by the way!" Explained the fairy as he left.

When he exited, he spotted a friend of his-the Kokiri girl Saria. Her green curls bounced energetically as she moved up to the boy's house.

"Li-ink!" She called, waving. Navi fluttered about the boy's face as he waved back. "Come down! We need to talk!"

Link grinned softly, then descended the ladder at the front of his house. Saria waited patiently until Link dropped, and then grabbed his wrist. She led him over to a dark opening and pointed inside. "Mido went in there. They say it's a maze. I wonder if he'll make it." She giggled.

Link said, "you brought me here for this?" He smiled gently to let her know he meant no rudeness, and Saria grinned apologetically.

"Sorry. So... You got a fairy?" Link glanced up at the blue sprite fluttering about his face.

"I guess," he said softly. Saria nodded, then walked away. Link cringed inwardly at the traditional Kokiri farewell. It had never sat well with him for some reason.

He shrugged it off then thought about what he should do that day. Nothing occurred to him, so he turned and walked into the dark area Saria had pointed to earlier.

While he moved through the log-looking hollow, he mused on the Kokiri Saria had mentioned before, Mido. He was somewhat of a bully since he was the 'leader' of the Kokiri, not that he made any decisions. Link wasn't entirely fond of him, but he certainly didn't wish for the boy to get lost.

Link moved into the hedge maze, looking around cautiously when he heard a rumbling. He soon found the source when a large boulder nearly rolled into him.

Link bit back an exclamation as he leapt backwards, narrowly avoiding being flattened. He ran through before another boulder, immediately rolling after the last one, could trample him, ending up in a safe corridor.

He had heard of such tales of the forest's 'natural defenses,' but this was ridiculous. He managed, however, to figure out the rhythm of the boulders as they rolled through (which made him think that some god was playing some sick little games with pebbles). He dashed through the rest of the maze until he hit a dead end, within which lay a single chest... And Mido.

The Kokiri boy was curled up, sobbing. Link looked at him quizzically, then stepped forward cautiously.

"Please," Mido cried, "leave me alone!"

Befuddled, Link stopped in his tracks. What was happening? A sudden shock of terror rushed through him, and he ran to the chest. It was unlocked.

Opening it, Link found a single sword, made of Kokiri wood- indestructible wood. He picked it up out of the rough bark of the chest, scraping the bottom with his fingernails as he grasped the hilt.

Immediately, he heard a large sob from Mido and an eerie clacking sound. Link whirled around, blade in hand, and gasped at the strange sight.

Mido shivered in fear as a live skeleton hissed at Link. Its bones scraped and clacked together occasionally, setting Link's teeth on edge.

With a harsh cry, Link leapt for the skeleton, sword moving down towards its head. The skeleton, however, had foreseen this and leaped backwards...

...to find its own demise, as it was crushed beneath a boulder.

Link breathed out slowly, suddenly finding that he was shaking. Navi flew silently in place, speechless. Mido stopped shivering.

/\

"No! You know it's dangerous out there!" Cried Mido, pointing at Link's face. Link's face set into a scowl, a look that did not fit the gentle features.

Link crossed his arms as Mido glared at him. "I know. But I managed to defeat that skeleton, didn't I?" inquired Link harshly, an uneasy edge to his tone.

Mido looked around his house, filled to the brim with gems known to the outside world as 'Rupees.' Then he sighed, and turned back to Link. "That was dumb luck, kid! You know that! But the Deku Tree says we can't go to the outside, and that's that!"

"What if I got a shield? I'd have an armory then," retorted Link, gripping the sword he now claimed his own. Mido grunted, crossing his arms as his own fairy fluttered about him.

"Maybe," the Kokiri leader said begrudgingly. "Maybe then."

Link nodded abruptly, a sour taste filling his mouth as he used the Kokiri goodbye. He left then, leaving a disgruntled Mido behind.

/\

"Link..."

The deep baritone of the tree's voice rattled Link to his core.

"You are meant for great things, my boy..." Said the Great Deku Tree, it's expression unmoving. Link stood, shaken; he fingered the sword's edge. The sword, along with a Deku shield, hung loosely on his back.

Link nodded, words unneeded. The Deku Tree sighed a sigh. "I am dying, Link. But perhaps... You could eradicate some of the evil that plagues me. Please..."

In one smooth movement, the tree's carved mouth opened down to the ground, revealing a gaping black hole. A feeling of illness and evil wafted from it into Link's heart, and the boy shuddered.

"Link..." Murmured the Tree once more as Link dashed into its gaping maw.

/\

Sweat streaked down Link's face as he swung his sword wildly in front of him, the spider-like creature screeching.

With a disgusting sound, the sword struck the monster's eye and stayed there as the spider collapsed with a tremor.

Link breathed deeply in and out and shoved the slingshot back into the hollow between the shield and his back, which now contained a stick and a bag containing ammunition for the slingshot.

Link timidly stepped toward the dead, evil creature and grasped the sword tightly. He closed his eyes as hard as he possibly could as he withdrew the blade, making a nasty sound that Link hoped he'd never hear again.

Link hopped off the spider and dashed away, to the entrance of the Deku Tree, as odd as that sounded in his mind.

/\

"You're leaving, aren't you?"

Link froze and turned slowly, his shoulders raised defensively. The slingshot clanked against the wooden shield as Link saw Saria.

Bathed in sunlight, the girl looked as radiant as one of the goddesses herself. Her green hair moved as if it were a living entity when she looked shyly up at Link.

"Am I?" Breathed Link, stepping warily backwards.

Saria tread closer to him, the wooden bridge making a hollow sound under her feet as she neared the boy.

"I always knew you were different," admitted Saria, "I always knew you'd leave some day."

Link nodded, not really knowing what to say.

"If you really are leaving..." Said Saria slowly, "take this."

She held out her beloved ocarina. Link stared at the small tan instrument, the one that Saria had used so much to entertain the residents of Kokiri Forest. It was her most treasured belonging, and she knew that Link knew this.

Link slowly outstretched his hand, grasping the hollow item lightly. It felt smooth to the touch, as if it weren't wood, rather more like marble of the highest quality.

Link closed his eyes and breathed deeply as he accepted the girl's treasure, stuffing it at the bottom of his trove of objects. He promised himself he would never lose the ocarina.

**/\**

** And that was chapter one! …obviously. If you enjoyed wholeheartedly, a review would be great. If you have any criticisms at all, or noticed a mistake, feel free to point it out. I take any and all suggestions, just remember that this is my writing, mm-kay? :P**

** Don't worry, Pokemon readers (if Zelda is also your thing, and you're reading this, etc.) chapter 28 will be raring to go really soon. I just wanted to stick a toe in the waters of Zelda. You all are awesome!**

**-Shinigami out.**


	2. Start of the Road

**The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina**

**Chapter Two**

**/\**

As the lone boy trudged on the dirt path, winding its way along Hyrule Field, he reflected on the Deku Tree's last words and its assignment.

"In the Sacred Realm lies a powerful object known only as the Triforce, Link… and the greatest form of evil known is after it…"

The boy had nodded, adjusted the strap keeping his equipment on, and stepped forward as if to take this quest in stride.

"I—no, those of Hyrule—need you to go to the castle… and warn Princess Zelda…" the Tree had croaked, as if in great pain. The boy nodded again as the Tree shuddered, and ill looking leaves drifted down on the boy's head.

/\

"Link!" called Navi, fluttering about his head in a flurry. Link awoke from the recent memory and shook his head, clearing any thoughts about his old guardian.

"Navi," replied Link simply. The fairy flew in place as she continued.

"We're here," she said. Link thought he could have figured it out himself when he drew his gaze upward, to the sweeping façade of Castle Town (which he only knew the name of thanks to a nearby sign). A moat surrounded the town, keeping out any would-be intruders, since the drawbridge was up.

It was then that Link truly noticed that it was night out. The stars shone brightly against a purple-tinted, sunset-lit sky. "I guess we'll have to wait," Link said softly, adjusting the Kokiri tunic he still wore on his person.

He thumped down on a nearby rock while Navi zipped around, bored. It was only once Link had fully relaxed that the monsters came.

With a strange rumbling sound, the soft soil beneath Link's boots began to move. With a shocked cry, the boy leapt off the rock and over a skeletal head that had just poked out of the earth.

Link drew his Deku sword as a skeleton made its way out of Hyrule Field and faced him. It made an odd rattling sound before menacingly approaching the boy. Link held his sword out in front of him defensively, but inside he was trembling like a newborn. This was nothing like the inside of the Tree, with the spider-like monster—this was in the open, with a settlement within reach but barred from him. He could have salvation, but the fact that it was kept from him made him feel empty somehow. And more terrified.

The skeleton clawed for Link's left side, the one without the shield. Link rolled to the side, accidentally clocking the shield against his forehead. Link stumbled into a standing position and waited for the monster's next offense, for which he had a plan.

And come the next assault did—from behind.

Link had been so focused on the skeleton in front of him, he'd paid no attention to any other creatures rising from death. The next skeleton leapt out of the earth behind him and locked its arm bones around his neck.

With a shriek, Link slashed behind him. The sword struck over Link's head, sinking into skull. Sobbing, Link fell away from the again lifeless arms. Link yanked on the blade, retrieving it, and then sprinted away.

Navi dashed along in the air behind him, shouting "Hey!" and "Listen!" one after the other. Link paid no heed, and kept running for the nearest settlement he could see—an entrance between two rock walls.

/\

"Go away! My girl's sleepin', and she needs it!" said a gruff, masculine voice from inside the building.

Link stared at the wooden rectangle as he heard heavy boots thumping away. He turned, put his back against the wall of the housing area, and slid down. Of course he wouldn't be given admittance tonight. Who in their right mind would invite a strange boy in?

Navi settled on Link's long green hat with a sympathetic noise. Link patted her in gratitude, and the fairy shivered against his hand. The boy sighed, removed his hand, and lowered his head.

It was time to wait for morning.

/\

Link awoke to a sweet sound, a melody. It was yearning, sweet, and happy at the same time. In all, the song was beautiful. Link rose, wondering why no one had booted him off the premises yet, and adjusted his strap—his back was really uncomfortable from the shield pressing against it all night.

He made his way through the way made between the two buildings, and found himself in a ranch area. A horse whipped by in front of him, and Link smiled warily. What were these strange animals? Whatever they were, they seemed majestic.

The source of the music was none other than a girl, with long brown hair and chocolate-colored eyes. A goofy smile rested on her face as she sang. Link couldn't help but grin as he neared her, but she stopped abruptly when she noticed him.

Link took a step back, hands up to show his innocence. It apparently wasn't needed, as the girl gave him a shy wave.

"Hi," she said, "you're the silly who slept outside our house this morning. Why were you there?" She cocked her head and looked at him.

"I needed a place to sleep," said the boy softly, not beating around the bush. "There were some sort of skeletal monsters after me."

"Oh! Those were the Stalchildren—they've been plaguing the area for a while!" said the girl earnestly, her eyes shining. "Papa had Ingo put a protective spell on our ranch!"

"Which is called…?" inquired Link slowly, as Navi whirled about his head.

The girl giggled at the eccentric fairy, and then said, "The Lon Lon Ranch! You should talk to my papa! He'll give ya some milk!"

"Erm… thanks, I guess…" Link said, then searched about for something to speak about. His eyes fell on a beautiful female pony, trotting about the perimeter of the fence. "That's quite the creature," he said softly, using a Kokiri phrase generally reserved for a beautiful beetle. Somehow, though, it felt fitting.

The girl turned and saw the young horse Link was looking at. "Oh! That's Epona! She's a real good girl. She comes when she hears this song!"

Abruptly, she spiraled into song again. The pony came trotting toward her, mane flopping about excitedly.

/\

He stood at the edge of the old ranch, hearing faintly the song he'd learned seven years ago. The blue instrument sat in his hands comfortably.

"Link…" said Navi, landing gently on the Hylian's head. He felt a slight pressure on the top of his green cap. "We need to get going."

"No, Navi…" said Link, smiling softly. The gentle curve of his lips broke open into a wide smile as he raised the ocarina to his lips. "We have all the time in the world…"

And he broke the silence open with a beautiful song. The clopping of hooves announced the arrival of Link's faithful companion.

"That's quite the creature," Link murmured, burying his face into the soft mane of Epona.

/\

A midday sun shone on the face of the child boy of the forest as he waved goodbye to his new friend. A bottle of milk rested with his treasure trove, stowed away with the likes of Saria's ocarina.

"Thank you, Malon," Link said as he turned to the entrance of the Lon-Lon Ranch. The gentle contours of the melody Link liked to call 'Epona's Song' rested in his head.

Link raised his eyes to the fairy gliding along on the currents above his head. "It's time to meet Princess Zelda, Navi."

/|\

**Love it? Hate it? Have some advice for lil ol' me? Let me know in a review! Thanks for reading.**

_**DoctorZelda: **_**Thank you for being my first review! I appreciate your kind words, and will check out your fanfiction ASAP.**

_**teithant: **_**Why, hello! Have we met? :P I can't wait to see either, and I hope you people are ready for the ride.**


	3. Coming To Fruition

**The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina**

**Chapter Three**

**/\**

"Who are you?" she said softly, the filtered sunlight landing gently on her blonde hair.

He simply stared, choosing his preferred speech: silence. He knew, just by looking at her, that she was truly a bright girl. She would figure it out.

"Y-you… you're a Kokiri. I know you…"

In shock, his jaw dropped and he stepped back a little. How did she know him? He had never met her before, and he certainly had never expected to…

Especially with all the trouble getting here caused him.

/\

"So, you want a mask, do you?" he said, a wide and creepy grin stretching across his face. His elbows rested on the wooden counter, his fingers laced.

Link stayed silent, gazing uninterestedly at the mask salesman, who still held his freaky smile. They stayed like that for a solid half-minute before the mask salesman finally moved and grabbed a strange, spiky-eared mask from a shelf behind him. It looked like some sort of yellow animal with closed eyes.

"Here. The first time you take a mask, you're renting. If you return without it, you gotta pay. And you'll be surprised how many times you'll come back missing my mask—a lot of people are interested in my wares."

Personally, Link hoped he would never return, but he took the spiky-eared mask anyway. He moved normally, so as not to arouse the salesman's suspicions that Link was utterly freaked out. When Link exited into the bright sunlight of Castle Town, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Shielding his eyes, the forest boy looked up into the orange-tinted sky. Navi, who had stayed in Link's hat for his time in the mask shop wriggled out and said, "Link! It's getting late."

"I noticed, Navi," said the boy gently, a soft smile gracing his lips. Navi fluttered about in mild irritation at Link's reply, but then calmed down.

"Do you want to wait until tomorrow to see the Princess, or…?"

Link kept quiet, sidestepping a frantic woman running about who was screaming about her missing dog. Link paid her no heed and moved towards the center of the plaza as the sun died down and people began moving into dwellings for the night.

Once everyone was safely bedded and only the dogs were left, Link sat and tried to relax. From his earlier explorations of the town, he had found no hotel to stay in and apparently had to spend the night's length outside. Navi fluttered about Link's head, entertaining herself by blowing about a floating leaf so it wouldn't touch the ground.

After an hour of this monotony (and a multitude of dogs rushing up to Link, finding he had a wild scent about him then shying away) Link finally fell into a light, fitful sleep.

/\

_Clop-clop_. _Clop-clop. _

"No…" Link murmured at his dream. "Please, not this again…"

_Clop-clop_.

Link dove out of the way of the oncoming horse, carrying a woman and a girl. The girl threw something… it landed in the moat outside Castle Town…

The man came, then. He was tall, dark, imposing. He let out a bellow of a laugh as he saw the small, green-clad boy. From his vantage point atop his raven-black horse, the 'hero' before him was no more than an ant.

Link gasped, and awoke.

/\

Link drew back the nut in its strap, and released when the strap was at its highest tension. With a sharp cry, the guard fell amid the clanking of armor and his spear. Link moved quickly to get out of the way of the crime scene so he wouldn't be discovered and moved to the side of the castle, skirting along the castle's moat.

He was honestly surprised he'd gotten this far, seeing as the castle's outer grounds were crawling with guards. He'd had to use the slingshot stored in his shield more times than he wanted to in order to get out of a tough spot. Apparently the Deku nuts were more powerful at stunning than Link had thought.

Link wrapped around the moat and found himself facing a sleeping man with a naked crown and a voluminous moustache. His blue overalls layered on top of his red shirt, and Link noticed a small cow patch sewn on its left side. If Link remembered correctly, that was a symbol of the Lon-Lon Ranch.

Link cautiously moved toward the man, who was snoring at a very high volume. Link considered using some of the moat water to awaken him, but what if he got in trouble?

He sneaked past the man to the tower behind a stack of boxes and tried the wooden door. Of course, it was locked. The Lon-Lon Rancher kept on sleeping. Link scanned the area and noticed a chink in a high wall to his left, across the moat. The forest boy eyed the boxes near the tower.

Mustering all his strength (and all of his silent power) Link pushed on the box. Unfortunately, he wasn't quiet enough and the crate slammed to the ground with a crunching sound. The man on the ground snapped awake and to his feet, his eyes already trained on Link.

"Whuh—it's midday?" he cried, consulting the sky for the sun's position. "Ahh, Malon will be so worried! This shipment was supposed to take only until nine!"

The man ran off, and Link gazed at his retreating back quizzically. That was certainly… odd. He shook it off, and continued the strenuous task of shoving the crates into the water for a makeshift bridge.

/\

Link bit back a yelp as he almost slammed into the back of some patrolling guard, and he fortuitously didn't look back. Link slinked along behind him until he turned the corner (why did he need to patrol a hedge, anyway?) and continued his guarding duties. Link dashed away. He had finally reached a large chamber.

It was open, allowing sunlight to enter but it had to make its way through a small amount of foliage, creating a forest-like effect to the area. Arched windows lay on the walls to the side of Link, looking in on a high-profile palace. Beautiful and fragile flowers lay dotted around the sides of a platform, upon which a girl stood.

She was a blonde girl, pointy ears on full display, and she stood in an elegant yet simple dress with her back to Link. She was leaning forward, looking through a window of some kind. Link moved up to the girl, his feet crushing the lush grass. The reflection of sunlight practically blinded him as it showed itself in a window to the side.

The girl shifted, as if to improve her view of something, and Link reached the platform she stood on. The sound of boot on marble made her turn.

Her delicate eyes widened as she drunk in the sight of Link. He smiled gently, in a reassuring way, and opened his arms as if welcoming her to speak.

"Who are you?" she said softly, the filtered sunlight landing gently on her blonde hair.

He simply stared, choosing his preferred speech: silence. He knew, just by looking at her, that she was truly a bright girl. She would figure it out.

"Y-you… you're a Kokiri. I know you…"

In shock, his jaw dropped and he stepped back a little. How did she know him? He had never met her before, and he certainly had never expected to…

"My vision…" she murmured vaguely, and Link finally decided to speak up.

"I'm Link," he said gently, and a blonde lock fell frustratingly into his eyes. He slowly pried it out of the way as the girl let her hands fall and began twisting them.

"Zelda," she said simply. Link nodded, letting his silence invite her to continue speaking.

"I saw you in a dream… Link. You were outside Castle Town, while I fled… from a man." She turned to the window she'd been peeking through, and pointed at someone inside. Link neared the glass and looked in, seeing a man with green skin and red hair kneeling at the throne of Hyrule. "That man."

It was the same man Link had seen in his nightmares. He had a cruel visage, a pointy nose and permanent sneer. His ears were pointed, but in a more curved way than Link's own. He seemed the embodiment of all Link's fears, all put together in one rough package.

"I know that man is evil. I know it! He won't believe me, though…" said Zelda finally, turning back to the forest boy. "My father, that is. But you… you believe me. Don't you?"

Link nodded, a simple "Of course," falling from his lips. Zelda's face split into a soft smile. It was troubled, though, as if it could transform into a frown at any second.

"Somehow, Link, I know we were fated to meet. I don't know exactly what we need to do, but it has something to do with that man. I'm sure." Zelda slowly, gently laid her hand on Link's shoulder. "I need your help, Link. To save Hyrule."

It had escalated so quickly. Link's journey had been to meet the princess Zelda, because that's what the Deku Tree had told him to do. Now, the entire destiny of Hyrule apparently rested on Link's small shoulders.

A small sound echoing behind Link in the silence made him whirl around. Standing with them was someone that hadn't been there before, but who Link had seen before.

She was tall, with a white braid and tattoos lying on her tanned face. Her bodysuit appeared to provide open mobility while still offering some protection. Her poise was that of an experienced warrior. It was the woman Link had seen in his sleep.

All of a sudden, it hit Link that all of the members of his dreams had appeared, all in one place. Somehow Link knew that that dream would come to fruition.

"Hello, Kokiri child," said the woman.

And Link also knew that he would have to be ready when it did.

/\

**Blargh! Please excuse this cruddy chapter! This was, like, terrible. But I've rewritten this twice now and they were even worse. Tell me what you thought so I can improve for next chapter. And I apologize, I'm definitely not used to third person view, and writing as a more omniscient narrator. So, yeah. Blargh.**

** Anyway, thank you for reading and I hope to see you soon in chapter four. **

** -Shinigami out.**


End file.
